Sharing stories about coffee, stories, and stoke
Let's admit it ... there's nothing better than a hot cup of coffee first thing in the morning on a cold wintery day, right? The fire is crackling, your fuzzy slippers feel oh so comfortable, your dog is sprawled out on the floor in front of the fire too intoxicated by the heat to even look up at as you walk by, and with coffee in hand you make your way over to the window. Yep, still cold and drizzly. No bother because the smell of the Guatemalan coffee your brewed is wafting up your nostrils.
There are radically different theories or approaches when it comes to brewing coffee. Heck, these completely diverse ways of thinking reflect a deeper philosophical approach to life. Not to try to play armchair psychologist here, but how you brew your coffee reflects much about who you really are. So what are those approaches? Let's tease this out, because it also reflects what kind of mountain biker you are too (doh!). Ready?
Life can be deceptive. Then we are bombarded by a million competing voices throughout the day. The media and marketing world are not purists as there is usually an agenda. We're no different. We have an agenda too. We're biased, unfair, and slant every conversation to our own leanings and value system.
Arguing over brew methods is like debating whether 27.5 wheels are better than 29 ... or 27.5+, 29+, or even (gulp) 26. It is all in the eye of the beholder. As soon as we write off 26" wheels Brandon Semenuk wins the Redbull Rampage 2016 on a 26er (see bike check here). So when it comes to brew methods we all have our favorites ... and they all merit our attention and affection. But to say which one is "better?" ... whew, good luck.
In Portland we have a magical wonderland called the "bargain basement" at Next Adventure. It is a whole treasure trove of used outdoor adventure goods. Your city has them too. Need new snowboard boots for the season? How about dropping $40 on a pair of last year's rentals? Did you blow out your MTB shoes? There's a pair of Five Ten Kestrel shoes (barely used) for $55. Need base layers for winter riding? Covered. Goggles? Yep. Mountaineering boots? Plenty.
Sometimes I forget we're in the coffee industry. In my mind we're in the bike industry. Odd admission. What I mean is this. When I started Loam Coffee I was mentally coming from the vantage point of a mountain biker, former mountain biking guide, and immersed in the mountain biking culture. As a result, I viewed ourselves from the very beginning like a bike or component company ... a RaceFace, Pivot, Maxxis, Shimano, etc.
